Mekakushi Band Project
by ElJunLy
Summary: A song project that was made by the lonely children, pulled along by the currents of the red. Each chapter is a different song and may stand alone on its own. Ch.6: Imagination Forest
1. Blindfold Code

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own KagePro

Mekakushi Band Project 1

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Blindfold Code

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It was another one of those seemingly endless days. A single noise, made from the conversations floating from each student, is audible in the lively lunch break air. All but Shintaro, sitting alone on the rooftop, eyes closed as if asleep.

His silence was broken when the door to the rooftop was opened, revealing the familiar figure of his seatmate. Her name is Ayano Tateyama and an interesting thing about her is how she could approach Shintaro that they could have even a short conversation with each other, if he chooses to go along with her.

This time things seem to be in Ayano's favor.

"Shintaro-kun!" she called as she approached him. "You're here again."

"Yeah, yeah, what is it this time?" he grumbled, sighing as he met her cheery gaze.

"Eh? Shintaro-kun's going to listen?" she asked, almost in disbelief.

He frowned at her reaction. Did she actually think he wasn't listening to anything spoken to him? He put that thought away and chose to stare blankly at her instead in response.

"You don't want me to listen, then?"

"Eh, no, no, no, no! Shintaro-kun, please listen, even for a bit!"

"I'm listening already."

"Then, Shintaro-kun, let's make a song!"

"Wha, a song?!"

"Aw, please? Even tunes are fine. I think I could write some lyrics."

"No. Why don't you do it yourself?"

"But I don't understand!"

He stared at her in disbelief.

"It's hard," she confessed.

"Why were you making a song?"

"Um, it's for my siblings and I want it to be lively!"

"..."

"..."

"I'll try making something, don't expect much, though."

"R-really? Thank you, Shintaro-kun!"

Truthfully, it seemed miraculous that Shintaro offered something.

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Shintaro actually meant what he said and presented her a tune after several days. The tune seemed to satisfy her.

"Waahh, amazing, Shintaro-kun! Why don't you make some more? I think you'll be a really great musician if you do."

"N-no."

"But this is wonderful!"

She gestured at the sheets she was holding with praise. He stared at her flipping through the papers while humming along. Wait...

"When did you learn to read music sheet?" he suddenly asked.

"Ehehe, I studied reading sheet music while Shintaro-kun is making the song so I could read it, too..."

"..."

"But it's really nice. Lively and secretive, just right."

"..."

"Hmm..."

"... what?"

"Hoods? Secret missions, too..."

She let out a sigh afterwards, and finally puts down the papers after thinking of the lyrics she had in mind. She looks up at the sky in thought.

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Years later, he met someone who appeared to be the physical entity of the song itself.

"It's the code. Blindfold complete," she confidently said as the mission was finished. He faintly heard the familiar composition from the teen's earphones.

"Code?" he asked her after the mission.

"I made it so that the code plays after a mission that somehow looks like we, the ones with the red, blindfold the world. A "Blindfold Code", somewhat."

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*passes by~

Please Review~


	2. Ayano's Theory of Happiness

No, this isn't in order.

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Mekakushi Band Project 2

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Ayano's Theory of Happiness

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Shintaro caught her on the rooftop that day. It seemed the opposite of what happened weeks before: him standing exactly where she is now and her just emerging on the rooftop from behind.

She didn't seem to notice him and continued looking on in front of her. She seemed lost in thought.

In the middle of silence, he heard the sound of ripping paper. Before he knew it, a thousand pieces of paper flew around him and her, flying away with the wind.

It was a spellbinding sight and he almost didn't see her reaching out and grabbing a piece from the air.

He faintly heard her sigh. He could almost feel a bitter smile from her. Despite all the things his mind was telling him, he turned and left.

..

He couldn't keep the image of a lonely Ayano out of his mind that day. Only when he was haunted by her image and papers the most did he look for the pieces and answers.

He went around the school, looking for lost paper. He was lucky that the grounds still weren't swept clean.

He found the pieces she scattered and brought them home to put them all together. He worked into the night until he recognized familiar symbols and words.

It was a music piece. From the handwriting, it looked like Ayano's work.

As he thought, it had a missing piece. It must be the piece she grabbed.

He didn't bother reading or scanning the piece and went to the end of the last paper. It was where she usually puts notes regarding her work.

"For everyone I love."

His eyes widened at his discovery. He decided to give it back to her the next day.

..

He never got the chance to, anyway. She was absent that day. And the day after. And the following days after that.

It came until everyone said that she died. Suicide. Jumped off the roof. He doesn't know anything anymore.

..

He got out that piece once again.

What is the title? Why is it something about a theory?

Things like that swam in his head. He found the answers as he read.

..

He got a chance to visit her alone after years of regret.

"Why did you do that?"

"Why did you think like that?"

"I said I would listen, right?"

"So why didn't you tell me?"

"Even if I didn't understand."

"..."

"You..."

"...made everyone sad, you know."

"But you also became the hero."

"I'm glad..."

"That piece you're holding..."

"It's "happiness", right?"

""Ayano's Theory of Happiness"."

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Oh, what next?


	3. Evening Landscape Yesterday

Makakushi Band Project 3

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Yuukei Yesterday

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For the first time that day, everyone in the room is shocked and silent. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the computer screen, save for him. It seemed like he already expected this outcome. A "perfect" spelled in big red letters flashed on his side of the screen.

"About that bet; forget it."

He left afterwards and the room sprung to life. The occupants talked amongst themselves at the event.

"Someone beat Lightning Dancer Ene!"

"He isn't the national champ, right?"

"Impossible!"

Those are just some of the common things simultaneously uttered by several people in the room.

In front of the screen, the hostess was snapped out of the shock she was left in by the, probably, only other female in the room.

"Um, sorry about that!"

"Um, are you… a friend of that guy from earlier?"

"In a way…"

The girl, whom the onlookers called "Ene", sighed exasperatedly as she looked Ayano up and down.

"Well, it's fine. But you better warn him about his attitude. He won't make it in the real world like that, you know."

"I will! Ah, then, please excuse me!"

She left the room afterwards. Before she got out of the door however, "Ene's" only classmate showered her with praises and tales of his amazement.

Ayano can't help noticing that pink on "Ene's" cheeks.

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"The day's ending," Ayano told Shintaro as they made their way back to their respective homes.

He didn't respond to that.

"You know, that girl," she started, taking note of the scenery in front of them. "I could imagine her running to confess to her classmate one day."

"..."

"She'll be like "one more time... one more time! The day's ending and I've got to tell him! I really hope he's waiting for me! So please help me, God!"

"... and I could imagine you writing her song."

"Really? But I don't know them that well Haha, I better get to know them, then."

"..."

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True to her word, Ayano could be seen with a glaring girl in pigtails sometimes. After a while, it seemed like they knew each other for a long time already.

In a matter of days the four are sitting together again in the same classroom where Shintaro beat "Ene". They had a proper introduction, then, especially in Shintaro's part since he had the least interaction with the older students.

Afterwards Ayano got out the music sheet she made and happily sang the song with a bouncy tune.

"Ayano-chan... you... like... HIM?!" Takane, known in the online world as "Ene", exclaimed in shock. She also can't believe about that nasty attitude Ayano seemed to have, even more at Shintaro greeting her good morning with a bedhead, mentioned at the start but that wasn't the main point!

"Congratulations, you two!" her classmate, Haruka, cheered.

"Eh?! No, no! Takane-senpai, this song isn't about us!"

"How could you like a selfish little brat like him?!"

"Who are you calling a "selfish little brat"?"

After some misunderstandings, they got the message along that the song is actually about and is in the perspective of Takane, not Ayano. Takane blushed bright red.

"I'll make a video about it!" Haruka volunteered afterwards.

He got hit by Takane for that. But Haruka didn't seem to have any plans of stopping and is already starting to work.

"Oi, Ayano-chan! Help me stop this guy!"

"Shintaro, can you make the accompaniment? I want it acoustic."

"Fine."

"Aaagghh! Won't anyone listen to me?!"

"Then, Takane-senpai, you'll be doing the vocals!"

Takane regretted saying that.

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Their small project ended long ago. It got unearthed one day by a certain cyber girl who decided to surf through her master's files. She reddened considerably and disappeared for a day afterwards, leaving her master to see it again as well.

"Ahh, it's that "Evening Landscape Yesterday"..."

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How is it?

please review and do tell what you want next..


	4. Headphone Actor

This was difficult.

Mekakushi Band Project 4

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Headphone Actor

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"Haruka-senpai! Hello! May I come in?" Ayano happily greeted as she peeked from behind the door of the hospital room occupied by the male she called out.

The occupant seemed surprised by the unexpected visitor but welcomes her all the same.

"Ah, hello, Ayano-san. Yes, you may come in."

"Ehehe, Haruka-senpai seems to be surprised," she casually comments as she enters with a boquet.

"Well, I didn't expect you to come. So why...?"

"Ah, I heard from my father so I thought of visiting. Here, get-well-soon flowers for you!"

"Ahaha, thank you, Ayano-san!"

"Well, you tired yourself out in the festival, huh?"

"E-eh?"

Haruka stared at Ayano, processing her words.

"Oh! Ahaha, ah, I think I did, though that's not the reason I'm here..."

"Mm, and Shintaro forgot to apologize! Please forgive him!"

"Eh? W-wha, you don't have to apologize! Besides that's already some time ago."

"Ah, o-okay."

"Phew..."

Haruka almost sighed. No wonder Shintaro, as he heard from Takane, seemed to be annoyed at Ayano sometimes. She's probably a handful considering her very cheerful attitude and active personality.

"A-anyways, about your game. It's amazing, Haruka-senpai! Did you think of it?"

"I guess. Takane told us to make a shooting gallery and left me to do what I want. Sensei programmed it afterwards."

"Ohh. I heard from Dad that you suggested it in the first place."

"Yeah, but Takane didn't like it. She agreed after a while, though."

"Mm, I saw Dad having a bump on his head once that week. Why is that?"

Haruka laughed at that.

"There was another Takane in the game, right? A blue one."

"Yes."

"I thought of giving the game a boss that looks like Takane since the other players are going to challenge her, who controls the game enemies through her headphone."

"And that's why it's called "Headphone Actor"!"

"That's right. And Takane hit him because she didn't want that."

"I see. Though, it would be even more interesting if it had a story."

"Mm, actually, I had a story in mind."

"Really? What is it?"

"Mm, it's set in a world that's about to be destroyed. The other Takane er- Takane will get angry if we call the girl after her. What should we call her?"

""Actor"! Let's call her "Actor" from "Headphone Actor"."

"Oh. Okay. So Actor heard about it through her headphones. Then after looking around, she heard another voice: her voice."

"Ah! So it's like Takane-senpai is talking to Actor through the headphones!"

"That's right! Then she runs through the city to get away from that place.""

"Ohh, ah, she only has a few minutes before the town's destroyed, huh?"

"Mhm."

"..."

"Ah, but it completely went away from the original game since there are those monsters that appear."

"Hmm... I'm sure, this will be an amazing start and Haruka-senpai will be successful in the future."

"Th-that's...!"

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The following days later, Ayano proceeded in making a song for "Headphone Actor" based on Haruka's story of the game.

"Shintaro! Do you know how to program?"

"A bit from our ComSci class, why?"

"Umm, could you program this song in Haruka-senpai's "Headphone Actor"?"

She held out a disc to him marked "Headphone Actor".

"A song?"

"Yeah, somewhat like an opening theme."

He shrugged and took the disc.

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"Don't you think that was too short?" he inquired her some days later, after doing the task she gave.

"Umm, I was thinking about it but nothing comes to mind."

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Ayano was sitting at her desk that summer, thinking about the remainder of "Headphone Actor".

Looking out of the window, she saw another tragedy taking place. Movement at the corner of her vision distracted her and, for once, she turned its way and gave it her full attention.

It was Takane and she seems to be in a rush. She crossed the street, narrowly avoiding a truck that horned loudly in surprise at her, yet still speeding towards the pedestrian lane where the tragedy will soon happen.

She still had her eye on Takane and only heard a shrill voice of a girl sobbing and calling out her male companion's name. She saw Takane slow for a moment; she must have heard too but decided to ignore and continue on her way.

"Hm... another tragedy..." Ayano whispers to herself as she quietly writes down the rest of the lyrics of the song that she thought of.

She then proceeds to fold the paper into a crane and left it on Shintaro's desk, knowing he'll find it and continue it for her, even if it were to be next summer.

...

He found the crane. And he found the disk once again.

He continued the song as Ayano expected and the only thing he's waiting for now is the chance to return it to Ayano in the "complete" version that she wanted.

He never got the chance to, but another entity discovered it instead.

"Ahh?! I thought this was gone already?!" she thought out loud, causing a small crisis for her since she was heard by her master.

"Wh-what I mean is! This rumor of a famous online game player is said to have played this game in a face-to-face battle with some local fans! Then it just died down."

Shintaro still stared her down suspiciously in front of the screen.

"GEEZ MASTER! Rumors are rumors! It never happened!"

Yelling that, she forcefully pressed on "delete".

Shintaro was thankful he already saved all the data in the disk Ayano gave him.

"You do know that I was there, right?"

Grinning for once in a whole while, he resumed this winning game with the flustered cyber girl in his computer.

"And I must say: hello, "Headphone Actor"."

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[a/n] for the reviews, btw,,

Ah, Ayano wrote the whole song since she knew the ending as well since yeah, her father. And I made it so that the reverse heat-haze days (after hibiya dies and loops again with him dying every time) is happening at the same time as headphone actor so,,,

Sorry if it's confusing! Please review what you think and suggest the next song!


	5. Night-Talks Deceive

This was hard.

Mekakushi Band Project 5

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Night-Talks Deceive

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"Nee-chan."

"Hm? Shuuya? What is it?"

"About the three of us. Aren't you scared? Don't you feel that we're strange?"

Although Kano Shuuya was thankful that the three of them were finally accepted, he couldn't help wondering why. He feels bad, hiding something from the others, but he wanted to ask something else and these questions were just the first part.

Tateyama Ayano was processing what he just said and stared at him for a while. She could see him fidgeting under her absent gaze as she tilted her head slightly to the side.

"You're family, of course."

He seemed shocked.

"B-but, what about our red eyes?"

"I already told you. Red is the color of heroes."

"Even though we're family, our powers might be a problem."

"Hmm, you'll get used to it sometime. Heroes need to practice using their powers, too. Remember that day in the park?"

He nodded.

"See?"

"But you don't understand! Tsubomi is easily scared and might suddenly disappear. Kousuke, too."

Kano clamped his mouth shut after that. He knew the other two are the last people who'll tell their problems so he decided to say this for them, although they don't know about this.

"How about Shuuya?"

He flinched.

"U-um."

"... I'll keep it secret if you want."

He looks up with a hopeful face.

"Really?"

"Yep! So tell me what's bothering you, okay?"

"O-okay."

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Ayano felt happy that Shuuya is opening up, even if it's just her for now. She'll give him time to collect himself before he'd go tell the others.

On their first meeting, he seemed at a loss for once and is blankly looking for a start.

"Shuuya, are you fine?"

"Yes."

"Do you want me to start?"

"U-ah, b-but you don't know what I'll say?"

""My name is Kano Shuuya.""

"M-my name is Kano Shuuya."

""Today I will be reporting my discoveries in my alley adventures.""

"Today I will be- wha- eh?!"

Ayano giggled as he got flustered.

"N-nee-chan, how did you know..?"

"Of course I know! I'm your nee-chan after all."

"A-ah, I guess I was caught..."

"Don't worry. I'll keep this a secret."

"Okay..."

"..."

"..."

"So about your power."

"Yes?"

"Could you show it to me for a start?"

"U-um, what- who should I be?"

"Eh?"

"Um, when used it, I could turn into someone else."

"Really?!" Ayano exclaimed, her eyes shining in amazement. "Then turn to... um, Tsubomi! Tsubomi!"

And so he complied, turning into the girl who, for some strange reason, is afraid of the night.

Ayano was amazed with this and made him turn into Kousuke, the timid boy who hates lies.

Ayano even made him turn to everyone in the family until they adjourned the meeting when they were found by a certain "Bespectacled Man of Mystery" and were told to go to sleep.

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They held the second meeting the next evening and the same process started all over again.

"Shuuya, should I start for you this time as well?"

"My name is Kano Shuuya and I could deceive anyone."

Ayano smiled when he decided to start. But then he looked lost as to what he'll say next.

"What do you think about your powers?"

"I'm amazed that I could deceive anyone, even when I'm not that good at lying."

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Ayano paid close attention to Shuuya as he told his tales in the evening and she gets the feeling he's more like a cat wandering about in the evenings. His cat-like eyes are undeniably expressive and in all the seriousness Ayano could see in them, he is unsure of himself and his ideals.

Ayano turns his questions into song, hoping he'll find the answers to them soon.

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After a whole day without Kano, the base was quieter but that only made thing lonelier as well. Not to mention a talkative cyber girl is not present at the same time.

Seto took it upon himself to look for his adoptive brother that evening while the rest of the Dan waited anxiously for their return.

"We're home!"

The lost children announced their arrival and they entered the base looking normal, except maybe for Seto who had creased eyebrows as if he had a problem and is trying to work things out.

Kano looked calm, and a hint of relief could be seen in him which Shintaro immediately noticed.

'In the end,' Shintaro thought to himself. 'He was saved after all.'

With a bow from the actors, the curtains fall to a close.

'And so ends the Night-Talks Deceive.'

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[a/n]: Thanks for the reviews~ ah, and KidTantei-san, it's the whole idea of this story in the first place (about Ayano and ShinShin making the songs).

Please review and suggest the next song as always~


	6. Imagination Forest

Mekakushi Band Project 6

Imagination Forest

"Do you remember that girl Kousuke met in the forest?" Ayano suddenly asked the next day.

"What about her?"

"I think she is a medusa."

"A medusa? Isn't that just stuff from stories?"

"It isn't a fairytale if it's real now."

"..."

"Ah! "Then let me save you just like in a fairytale"."

"..."

She proceeded humming a new tune before noticing Shintaro staring at her again.

"Ah, since it's like her world is falling apart, Kousuke then came to save her."

"...how is her world breaking apart?"

"Um..."

"..."

They fell silent and left their conversation hanging. Ayano went back to writing the lyrics for her brave boy and Shintaro started writing his own set.

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"To think..." Ayano muttered. "Shintaro writes fantasy."

The piano notes being played stopped abruptly. True, he was expecting it, but Ayano said it critically.

"It seems to have a soft tune."

"It does."

"R-right..."

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A soft tune can be heard from the music room's piano. Ayano sat listening as a new song begins to form itself. Her eyes followed Shintaro's fingers as they tapped at the black and white keys.

In a while, she is caught and she is starting to tap her hand against her knee every time he hits a chord.

The room is soon filled with the imagination that the lonely girl in the forest seemed to express in this song. Reality mixed in by the end, weaving the worlds into a single one.

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Their finished product explained that girl's case perfectly. Once, before she opened up to him, he caught her singing to that tune they made.

"I don't know who made it, but I'm glad that someone heard the "song that rang out from me"," she told him, cleverly using some of the lyrics, when he asked about the song on their trip to the titular "Imagination Forest".

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[a/n]: I know it's short.

Please review and leave a suggestion for the next one~ thank you~


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